To be an effective manager or even a helpful colleague, it's necessary to give critical feedback that is both honest and actionable.

But if this criticism is delivered in the wrong way, it can cause the other person to become defensive, slowing the team's progress, or breed resentment.

The solution is not self-censorship or pretending that nothing needs fixing; instead it's best to first either acknowledge the ways the employee is already performing well, or to guide that person to a conclusion without enforcing it on them, says Caroline Webb in her book "How to Have a Good Day."

Webb is the CEO of consulting firm Sevenshift and a senior adviser to McKinsey, where she was formerly a partner. Her book is a collection of career best practices she's learned in her 16 years as a consultant.

Here are three techniques Webb recommends for introducing difficult feedback.

'What I like about that is ...'

When someone introduces an idea that you find lacking in some way, begin with "What I like about that is ..." and give specific examples before saying "What would make make me like it even more is ..." with your suggestions.

Webb clarifies that it's not meant to sound disingenuous, but rather force you to find "something useful that you might have missed had you led with your criticisms."

'Yes, and ...'

One of the main tenets of the improv comedy institution Second City is to take a "Yes, and ..." approach rather than "Yes/No, but ..." in order to keep an improvised sketch moving forward, allowing actors to play off each other's ideas.

She writes: "For example, if someone is keen to launch a new project that you think is ill-timed, instead of saying 'Yes, great project. But it's the wrong time,' say 'Yes, great project. And we also have the annual strategy round about to launch.' Then invite discussion: What can we do about that timing?"

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'What would need to be true to make that work?'

Instead of shooting holes through someone's idea, have that person think through a hypothetical scenario in which it worked smoothly. This gives an opportunity to check the feasibility of the idea without making its presenter look "silly" or "wrong," Webb explains.

"It was a device much used by my colleagues at McKinsey when teams discussed competing ideas, since it helped ensure that each proposal received a fair hearing even it didn't initially sound appealing," Webb writes. "And it meant that every team member felt included in the decision on what to do next, even if his or her preferred option didn't make the cut."